


Honey buttered cake

by 𝕰𝖈𝖈𝖊𝖉𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖆𝖘𝖙 (kailyncipher)



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempt at Humor, Cooking, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Goro is a disaster cook, M/M, Persona 5 Spoilers, Swearing, but that won't stop him from trying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:34:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23899822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kailyncipher/pseuds/%F0%9D%95%B0%F0%9D%96%88%F0%9D%96%88%F0%9D%96%8A%F0%9D%96%89%F0%9D%96%8A%F0%9D%96%93%F0%9D%96%99%F0%9D%96%8E%F0%9D%96%86%F0%9D%96%98%F0%9D%96%99
Summary: Today was the day. Today Goro would finally beat Ren in the only area he was never able to do it and show his appreciation for him. Today, he would surprised his boyfriend with mindblowing waffle cupcakes and nothing would stop him. Not even himself.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 54





	Honey buttered cake

It was a new day in Tokyo, but for everyone it was just another tiring day of work, and Goro was no exception. Many would say that the job of a freelancer is not as stressful and strenuous as that of an office worker or banker since after all those people they do not have an asshole as a boss and in whose eyes you are nothing more than a replaceable machine in case screw it up.

Well, Goro thinks that anyone who agrees with that opinion is a self-centered jerk (just because he was also one). He already knew where he was getting autonomous, and let me tell you, it's not an easy job at all. He needed to establish fixed working hours, he must promote himself to get offers and editorials who want to publish his books, and what to say about the ordeal that happens when an artistic block was impaled in his brain.

In the end he needed to be his boss and his worker at the same time, seeking to make a life through all possible means in a city as demanding as Tokyo was.

But he would not trade his life for anything in the world, he had finally found a place to belong, a job where he finally felt safe and comfortable, friends patient enough to endure his cynical humor and sarcastic comments... And of course, there was Ren.

They had been in a relationship for two years (something unimaginable for his self from four years ago), and each morning getting up to see the love of his life was like a wish come true for him. After so many years sunk in bitterness and loneliness, with an unsatisfied thirst for revenge in his heart it seemed like a lie that life would bring him something so wonderful after so many years of pain and resentment.

Still, despite all his attempts to isolate himself from the world after failing in what had been his sole purpose in life for so long, the chaotic jet-haired boy did not give up. After appearing in his life after what seemed to be his last farewell (he really believed he had died, he saw no point in meeting Ren despite his heart yearning to see him), the boy with no more childish features on his face did not lost sight of him since then.

Goro argued that he had simply returned for his promise, burying deep any feelings of affection or fear that he had at that time, and only fulfilling his part of winning a rematch... Of course, the only problem is that no matter what he did, he could not win a single once.

Now, do not think that he lost faculties after almost dying twice, for your information he is and was perfectly capable of winning Ren if he wanted to, especially in matters of chess or deduction, and many times he was about to win. However, every time victory was at his grasp, the smartass of Ren used any kind of trick to distract him or to excuse himself and leave the fight in a draw.

Goro was not stupid, he knew from the first moment what he was doing, he was postponing their matches to meet again one more day, taking advantage of his pride. Still, the former detective did nothing to stop him or reveal his intentions. He told himself that it was because the other didn’t take him seriously (despite always doing it, "You would hold it agains me if I didn’t give it at my all in our meetings." Ren once said while he was making him a coffee, for the old days), but deep inside he knew why.

"If they gave me one hundred yens every time you lied to yourself I could buy sweets for a lifetime." Ann joked one afternoon after accompanying her to shopping.

“I have never met someone as emotionally constipated as you. You should be given the title "Sir what even is emotional vulnerability." Futaba stated with a grin from ear to ear after straying from his discussion of the new episode Phoneix Ranger Featherman R.

Yes, Goro knew that he had problems with his emotions (his therapist told him that it was normal after everything that had happened to him, but he should accept it and try to move on), but apparently that did not stop the former leader of the Ghost Thieves to see through his barriers and see Goro for what he really was.

Ren was a stubborn piece of shit, he had such a big heart that he still wonders how it fits in his chest (and sometimes he hates it because he knows that the world takes advantage of it) and sometimes he was too naive about the world, but that was partly the reason why he was the only one to accept him at the beginning and to love him, despite everything he had done.

The two had met under unfair circumstances. Ren, a boy unfairly blamed for a crime that he didn’t commit, and him, a stupid child blinded by revenge that was destined to lose from the start. Fate had confronted them, they were destined to destroy each other (healmostdidithealmostkillhim-), but the thief did not allow it, he didn’t let something as despicable as fate dictate the end of the game. In the end he saved him, although neither of them admitted it, and for the first time in his life he felt that someone was finally seeing him, _truly_ seeing him.

It was a wonderful feeling, something so splendid and wondrous that at that time Goro wasn’t capable of experiencing it, his heart being blackened by anger and loneliness, so like he always had done he denied the feeling and hid it so deep in his heart that he really thought he felt nothing for the other boy. Some things came to others, and he continued with his lie until the very end but... After overcoming all the obstacles (Shido, the god of control, Maruki, the conspiracy...), at last he found himself without a path to follow. He felt lost and aimless, alone after having believed that death had already caught him, and it was then that he realized that the only thing left in his heart was the promise to which the two had clung (that, and something else that stuck in his heart and didn’t know how to call it).

But the truth had always been there, hidden and as dazzling as their relationship.

The truth is that Ren had been the first to accept him and see him for what he truly was, and Goro, on his behalf, had also seen through all his masks and had treated him not as a criminal, nor a star student, nor someone where to vent his sorrows or as the invincible leader of the Ghost Thief. No, despite approaching him at first to set him up, Goro had treated him like Ren. Simply Ren.

Since the beginning and until the end of the game they were two boys used and mistreated by the adults around them, just wanting to find a place to belong and to be accepted for what they were, a place where they could be happy and be themselves.

Silly of him for not realizing that he had finally found it.

"Goro, what are you doing?"

In the past when he was caught in his incessant thoughts he would apologize with a small smile and with his charisma as the astounding Detective Prince. Now, however, after having left most of his barriers behind (to his dismay the little gremlin that Ren had for a sister still called him "Mister, what is emotional vulnerability"), each time he was caught in the midst of his daily ramblings he couldn’t help but jump out of his skin.

"Ah Morgana, I see you're already awake." The man looked at the black and white cat (yes, it was a cat even if it was not a normal one) that had become his roommate.

"Yesterday I couldn't sleep well so I needed to recover a little." Morgana stretched out on the wooden floor of their apartment and then went up to the kitchen island. "But more importantly, what is all this?"

Ah yes, Goro had been so caught up in his thoughts that he had momentarily forgotten what he was supposed to be doing. Around the boy several bowls and kitchen utensils surrounded him, a bag of flour, a package of waffles and a few eggs were in a corner of the counter, and resting on the wall his mobile was playing a video currently stopped.

"Are you going to cook something? But you didn't know how to cook, right? ” The cat's surprised exclamation was answered with a roll of the eyes of the other, who knew this fact very well.

"I am not used to cooking but Ren has been helping me to get familiar with the most basic things, I am not so useless to be unable to make a fried egg."

"But it looks like you're going to do something more complicated, and I don't want to smell like smoke like last time."

"That was an accident, I still wasn't used to the kitchen." The fully grown and self-capable man crossed his arms as he glanced at the other's frown.

"Well, if you say so... But what are you planning to do? Wouldn't it be better to wait for Ren? ”

He dropped his arms with their sleeves rolled up as he headed to the refrigerator to pull out a stick of butter he'd bought that morning. "I want to surprise him, you know that lately he has been very busy with work, and he has enough with preparing the food in the cafe."

<< I want to prepare something for him too and show him my love and appreciation. >> It was also a reason why he was doing that, but I didn't need to say it out loud even though Morgana already knew.

"Hmm, it's true ... Still, try not to create chaos while he’s gone."

He knew the cat was teasing him on purpose despite being slightly concerned, but Goro would show him that he was capable of this and much more, waffle cupcakes were nothing compared to everything he had faced.

<< Some cupcakes will defeat me. >> He reaffirmed with a security as strong as the Tokyo Skytree.

Despite still feeling the skeptical blue eyes of the other, he got to work, he had no time to lose. Although his boyfriend was going to return home in two hours Goro liked to be prepared for everything and to anticipate any unforeseen event. He had planned everything perfectly so far, making sure not to buy the goods in front of the chef's intense metallic eyes, and had watched the video over and over again to make sure he didn't skip a step, hating surprises as long as he didn’t give them.

"Well, I'll be watching you just in case, and in return you can thank me with a bit of tuna later." The tail was waving gracefully from side to side just thinking of the delicious and tasty tuna.

A deep sound of understatement echoed in the man's throat as he put the video back on and opened the waffle bag and poured them into a bowl, leaving the answer to Morgana's treatment in the air, and the cat was so engrossed in his fantasy that he didn’t bothered to confirm the agreement from the human. Meanwhile he used his deft fingers to smash and break the waffles, letting the crumbs fall into the bowl. Obviously the ideal thing would have been to use a mixer but the only one they had had recently been broken by a nosy blonde who thought it was a wonderful idea to stir some eggs directly into the machine to make a protein shake.

Either way, he had done a decent job pounding the waffles so he was sure it would work this way too. Then he poured the flour into the bowl, splashing his face a little as he had thrown all the dough out at once, and his reaction was a small grimace of displeasure that vanished with a sigh.

<<Okay, now cinnamon and nutmeg... And salt and yeast...>>

One by one, he added the ingredients to the mixture and then took the hand mixer and mix everything into a homogeneous mass.

<<This is a piece of cake… Now it’s the turn for the butter.>>

Unfortunately the stick of butter straight out of the fridge was too stiff to cut it, and he didn't have much time, so the microwave was the way to go.

"Hey Akechi, what did you plan to do? Can you give me a taste of that? ”

"Sure, but don't come crying to me later when you have a stomachache."

“Come on, it doesn't have any chocolate! It's only supposed to be dough and sugar, right? They are like pancakes! ”

At the mention of the pancakes Goro couldn't help but glance menacingly at the cat while the little fucker licked his paws so calmly.

"Mmm I see. If you want to try it out so much so much then I guess Ren and I can have for dinner all the tuna that was left from the other day. ” With a sharp smile he tucked the half-unwrapped stick of butter into the microwave while enjoying the scream from his partner.

"There were leftovers?! Why didn't you tell me?! ” Tiny legs pounced on the counter where the chestnut was resting while looking at his indignant companion. ”After all the nights I left to leave you alone and you pay me with-!"

The aching meows suddenly stopped, drawing the adult's attention, and suddenly a feeling of sheer terror blossomed on the cat's face. Just when he was going to ask him what the hell was wrong with him a flash of light emanated from the microwave, and in a single millisecond he realized that inside the appliance the butter had caught fire. With the paper.

He had forgotten to take away all the paper.

With reflexes encouraged to prevent a fire in his house, Goro rushed against the door and opened it as fast as he could. An intense burning smell hit his nose but he didn't have time to think about it as imposing flames slowly consumed the wrapping paper.

"A CLOTH, TAKE A CLOTH!"

His hands grabbed the burning stick and he pulled it out of the apparatus as he could, screaming from the chaos it had caused in just a few seconds, and in a desperate attempt he grabbed a dishcloth and started hitting the butter with it as if it were a Shadow from the old days.

It only took a few blows to quench the fire and leave a slightly charred butter with the wrapper slightly charred, but the burning smell remained, staining the air.

"Why did you put paper inside the microwave?!" Morgana shouted after seeing how almost a mini fire spread inside the appliance.

"Fuck! You distracted me with the tuna! ” Goro's heart had begun to beat so much after seeing the flames that it took him a few seconds to recover.

"I told you to be careful!"

"If you hadn’t distracted me in the first place I wouldn't have put the fucking stick of butter with the wrapper inside...!" He brought his uninjured hands to his hair to pull back a few strands that had escaped from the ponytail, trying to control the anger and irritation that were trying to take hold of him. No, he should calm down, nothing had happened. "Shit, let’s calm down, nothing happened, it was a little slip."

"We got it out just in time but... Hey, are you alright Akechi?" Was he a little pale? Maybe, he didn’t know, he was trying to ease the need to swear.

"Yes... Yes, don't worry, it just caught me off guard, you scared the shit out of me with that scream."

"Well, forgive me for screaming when I saw the microwave almost get set on fire." A small sigh escaped as he released the tension from his small body. "Are you sure it's not better to wait for Ren?"

No, no, he was going to surprise his boyfriend no matter what it took, this was just a small incident, everything else was going perfect.

"No, I am perfectly capable of carrying on for your information. Also, in the first place it was _your_ fault that I got distracted. ”

"I didn’t mean to do it..." the black ears crouched on the other's head, looking truly sorry for annoying the japanese so much.

"... I know, don't sweat it." Perfect, now Morgana felt guilty about something _he_ had caused. He deserved it, but Goro wasn’t so cruel to rub it in his face. Twice. Working from home meant spending a lot of time locked up and with the permanent presence of the cat-like friend of Ren the two were destined to form some kind of friendship, and now every time he saw the cat suffer for stupid things a thorn of discomfort shot through his heart.

_"That’s called caring for the well-being of your loved ones Goro, but I’m sure you already knew that, right?"_

Yes, yes, his therapist was very sarcastic too, maybe that's why he came back a second time (that, and because Ren asked him and he so stupidly promised to do it).

“…However, if you are going to be bothering me while I’m working then I have no choice but to force you to help me.” He commented as if nothing happened while he cut the butter and added two eggs, focusing on not putting in any shell by mistake.

A flash of surprise lit Morgana's marinated eyes which then bursted into sparks of excitement and joy. "Really? You won't regret asking me for help! ”

"Yes, yes, I know, now pass me the sugar, we don't have all day if we want to finish before Ren arrives."

"Mwuehehe, with my help we will end in a jiffy!"

Nimbly he dodged the obstacles and ingredients on top to reach the shelf where they kept spices and condiments among other things, and with his mouth he grabbed the sugary bag to gracefully take it to the adult who showed a small smile on his face.

"I hope Ren cleaned your mouth recently, I'd rather not add cat saliva to the plate." Worrying about Morgana did not take away the fact that he enjoyed teasing the feline from time to time, although he wasn’t the only one who suffered from his sarcastic and irritating comments.

"I'm not a cat!" Ah, there it was, the famous phrase.

"And I'm not aasshole." At his comment the cat (not cat) turned speechless, but then he shot the man with such a withering glance that he giggled with satisfaction.

"Touche."

With renewed spirits he continued with the task in his hands. He had to stop the video and go back a bit because of the small incident, but it was no problem. What truly was a problem was the fact that half an hour had already passed.

"Shit."

Quickly he poured the vanilla extract and changed the mixer to an automatic one. He had already lost too much time. After stirring it for a minute, he poured all the mixture with the one he had already prepared, and without thinking it very well, he put the power of the whisk to maximum for-

"Wait! Do it carefully!"

Of course, yes, it had to be mixed well but he didn’t want to send the dough flying. Only he knew the few times he had taken a mixer, so despite all the care in the world he couldn’t prevent some drops from flying through the air to end up on the counter or in his face (thank goodness he had put Ren's apron, no matter how ridiculous it looked with the phrase "Kiss the cook").

"I think it's fine, we should put it in the oven now. Have you preheated it? ”

"Of course, who do you take me for? I may not be the most skilled in the kitchen, but I'm not as clumsy as Ren. ”

Oh yes, Ren, her boyfriend capable of doing a trickshot in the pool table and beat him, and also capable of leaving the bathtub on and then completely forget about it when he saw the new look his boyfriend had prepared for that night. It was a very... Exciting night on both sides. And more the water bill.

Leaving that little memory aside, he refocused on the next step, filling the molds with the dough. Easy. He picked up a spoon and poured the dough into each mold in each cupcake tray that he had explicitly bought for this. Of course, he also took a little taste of it to check that the dough was edible.

<<It looks like there are still waffle crumbles, but that's normal, right...? >>

Yes, it must be normal, he wasn't dealing with a normal dough after all, and the taste didn't make him grimace either so...

Concluding that it was okay (or well enough to eat), he opened the oven with a red mitt and carefully pushed the tray inside, momentarily overwhelmed by the scorching heat that had built up inside.

<< Okay now to adjust the time and heat... The video had said at 350º for 16 minutes, although Ren had told me that this oven was powerful ... Maybe if I set it to 200 it would be better. >>

After activating the alarm and adjusting the measurements, Goro took two steps back to contemplate the kitchen, or rather the damage it had caused. Was cooking always this messy? When Ren did it it seemed so easy and neat...

"Now we just have to wait." Hailed the animal figure as he lay quietly in the only place where there was no remnants of flour or dough. "You should clean all this up, it seems like a whirlwind has passed through here."

"Shut up, I'm not used to working with dough, and don't try to slope off, you also live here and you’re perfectly capable of helping me." Even with the sleeves rolled up, he went to work cleaning the entire kitchen, going to the sink where a pile of bowls and utensils were stacked. “I am confident that you are able to clean the stains by yourself, right? I doubt that you can use those paws to do the dishes. ”

"Who do you take me for? Of course I can do it! Don't underestimate these little paws! ”

A snort escaped through his nose upon hearing his friend's selection of words while he tried to remove the gobs of dough tucked between the metal rods of the whisk. Thankfully, the two of them did an efficient job cleaning the kitchen and finished in just a few minutes.

"Not bad for a cat." He said as he stroked the space behind Morgana's ears. After so many times occupying his lap while working he had learned each other's weakest places, and he wouldn't be Goro if he didn't take advantage of them.

"Nyah~, w-wait no! You insulted me, don't think that-! Nyaaah… ”

The sharp, mischievous smile on his face subsided until a small grin of satisfaction and something akin to affection remained as the only trace. The cat, helpless against the adult's caresses, could only melt under his hand, purring happily. While Morgana was at the mercy of his right hand, he pulled out his cell phone from his pocket with his dominant hand to check if he had received any messages while he was away.

Not to his surprise, he saw that the chat he had with Ann and Shiho had increased in the number of messages, apparently they were talking about how the flight back to the United States went and that they were already eager to meet him again. On the other hand, there was the chat with Futaba, also known as the little gremlin, although he was sure that she had only sent him more memes from the new show they were seeing after the ridiculousness they had contemplated in the last episode. Instead, he opened the chat with Yusuke, who had sent him a request to invite both him and Ren to his next show, of which it goes without saying that he was very excited about.

Just as he was about to respond, a sharp ping rang out from his cell phone and saw that he had received a notification. Something normal, yes, the problem was who had sent it.

 **Ren:** { _Hey Goro, I'm done working soon so I'm on my way home.}_

<< Shit. >> He thought for the umpteenth time that day.

**Me:** _{I already? Didn't you have an event today?}_

**Ren:** _{Yup, but Haru has let me slip away earlier. Advantages of working my fingers to the bone daily.}_

 **Me:** _{I see, then I'll wait for you at home.}_

 **Ren:** _{See you soon love.}_

"Fuck."

He abandoned his cell phone and Morgana to glance at the glass and see how the cupcakes were going.

They hadn't even gotten up.

"Shit."

"What happened? Have you forgotten any ingredient? ” The cat was already too used to the adult's foul language, so it didn't surprise him when he occasionally blurted out a row of swearwords.

"Ren is going to be here in ten minutes."

"Wait, what? Didn't he have an event or something like that? ”

In a nervous tick the chestnut had brought his bare and already dried hands to his face, massaging it to try to calm the nerves inside. "They've let him leave earlier."

"But the cupcakes are not made..."

"I know! What am I supposed to do now?!”

<<Calm down, calm down Goro, you can do it, it's just some cupcakes… Wait, the video had said about 350 degrees in 16 minutes, a few have already passed, maybe if I change the temperature it will give me time! >>

Altered, he threw himself against the furnace wheel again and changed the temperature to approximately 350 degrees without further ado, begging any entity or science to work.

"Okay, that's it, now we just have to wait."

Wait a minute, his clothes were sure to be infused with the smell of cupcakes, he had to change or the surprise would be ruined.

"I'm going to change. I’ll be back soon."

"Wait, and the cupcakes-."

"They'll be fine, I'll only be gone for a few seconds."

Half running through the halls he left Morgana and went into his shared bedroom with the messy haired boy, opening the closet to try to choose some elegant but casual outfit. In the end, he decided on a black turtleneck (he knew he was sexier with it) and half-ripped jeans belonging to the other adult. It wasn't typical for him to leave clothes lying on the bed or on the floor but if he wanted to shower and get dressed on time he couldn't waste time folding clothes.

With only a towel surrounding him and with the clothes in his hand, he got into the shower like a madman, ignoring all the beauty products that he normally used to only apply an emergency shampoo and an aloe vera gel. He undid his ponytail while letting the hot water wash away any traces of burning smell, enjoying how it calmed his muscles at the same time despite how his heartbeat. After a few minutes, satisfied with his work, he got out of the shower and dried himself as quickly as possible. He didn't have time to get his hair done so he went back to making a ponytail before drying his hair a bit.

It was then that a meow caught his attention, and fearing the worst, he dressed in a hurry and then went to the kitchen.

"What happens?"

"The cupcakes are already made!"

It went without saying that he instantly went for the mitten he had taken out a little while ago and he opened the door of the oven again, but with the overwhelming heat that emanated from it he was forced to look away while he took the tray out of the oven. The smell that flooded his senses whetted his appetite, and a waffle fragrance spread and impregnated bit by bit the air, but...

"Hey... Are you sure they must be so dark?"

In front of them of them the once-filled cookie sheet filled with dough had been transformed into one filled with cupped, frosted cupcakes that resembled a dark brown. Quite dark.

"Oh no…"

Well, they weren't completely burned and they didn't smell bad, so they must be edible, right...?

They both cast a restless and doubtful look on what to do from then on, but the sound of a door opening in the distance took the two boys out of their trance to stare like fools in the same direction that came the sound.

"Honey, I'm home!" The clacking of the keys announced the arrival of the cook, who was changing his shoes to enter his home.

A demon seemed to possess Goro as he pounced on a vanilla fragrance can to try to hide the scent from theair, but it was too late as a head popped out the door.

"Hey, it smells good, did you bring-? ¿...Goro? ” Ren just stood at the door, trying to assimilate the image before his eyes.

Morgana was in a very strange position with a surprised face and his boyfriend had been paralyzed like a deer in a headlight with his arm raised, looking at him with a worried face just to then let out a breath and collapsed against the counter.

"Welcome home..." His boyfriend commented defeated.

It didn't take long for Ren to realize what had happened, the pedantic fragrance of baked dough and Goro's presence in the kitchen were irrefutable proof of this.

"Goro, have you been cooking?" He couldn't help the surprised and curious tone in his voice as he approached the chestnut boy.

"No, I have been experimenting with seasonings to create a revolutionary contemporary painting." And there went his defence mechanism again. "Of course I've been cooking."

"Wait, it smells like waffles and dough, what have you done?" He asked intrigued and slightly excited.

"Why don't you see it for yourself." With a brief glance at Morgana, he motioned him to move away from the tray in an appreciated attempt to hide it.

"It was Goro's idea, but we have suffered... Some accidents."

“Well, at least you haven't set fire to the kitchen, have you? …Wait, what does that look mean?”

To call them accidents wasun understatement. They had almost set the microwave on fire and the cupcakes had been within a few minutes of being completely charred. It seemed that no matter what he did, he was always going to end up fucking it up in the cooking area.

"Well, we haven't tried them yet, so they can be good!” The animal tried to liven up the mood with a little optimism despite Goro's annoyed gaze.

Ren, however, was immune to it, and with a small smile that carried something so fragile and precious, he approached the tray while caressing his loved one's cheek.

"Can I try it?"

"…Go ahead."

His clear and perfectly visible eyes left Goro's view to focus on the tray with the waffle cupcakes, oblivious to the writer's heartbeat.

A few seconds passed where only the chewing of the chef could be heard, who had closed his eyes to savour better the food that the duo had prepared for him. Perhaps in the past he would have been perfectly capable of hiding it but the feeling that bubbled in his belly was due to nerves for having the approval of the other and not having fuck it up for once.

"So?" He was growing impatient with the silence of the other after he had finished swallowing the piece that he had put in his mouth.

A small laugh then escaped his lips as he turned to look at both of them. "...It has made my mouth completely dry."

A defeated sigh flew from Goro's throat as he accepted one more defeat, but not before promising himself a rematch against the infernal kitchen, but then a few words interrupted the beginning of the thread of his negative thoughts.

"-But the taste is good, have you used waffles as dough?"

"That's right, a cooking channel did it and lately you've been eating a lot of sweets, so I thought it would be a good idea to make some cupcakes, but you can see the result.”

"Hey, you know I enjoy making you food, if you wanted to cook so much I could have made time to cook together..." An evasive look and the frown on the other's beautiful face suggested that this had not been the main reason. Yes, despite so many years together they still enjoyed competing and seeing who won over whom, but there was no evil intention or resentful feelings behindit, they simply enjoyed their rivalry even if they were life partners forever.

…Or well, soon they would be, Ren wanted everything to turn out perfect, a bit like Goro, in fact, but he still hadn't said anything to him, he needed to find the perfect moment. Also, now he was busy teasing his boyfriend.

"...Or maybe you wanted to surprise me?" A mischievous grin grew up on the edge of his lip, seeing through the other adult.

Crimson eyes rolled upon hearing the irrefutable and obvious fact behind his intention. "Woah, what a detective you are made of."

"Nah, that title will always be yours, my prince." A small giggle blossomed from his throat.

"God, I think the sugar in cupcakes has affected the neurons in your head."

An even broader and fuller laugh emanated from the other's chest, who couldn't help but kiss him on the lips. "Nah, I just like to tell you how much I love you."

In the past perhaps he would have brushed off the compliment with a slight blush on the cheeks due to his inability to accept any kind of caring or loving act because of his grim past, but after so many years with the insufferable of his boyfriend he has become immune to his attempts to flirt. Or well, at least most of the time.

"Well then, don't let me stop you." He spoke quietly before giving him a kiss back, just because he could. "And don't think I've given up, someday I'll make a better gyudon than you."

"Ohoho, I would like to see it." Naughty hands caught the waist of the other while caresses were marked on the skin covered by the black cloth. "Although I would prefer to see if you can beat me on something else..."

"God, I'm here!" An indignant meow broke the atmosphere that was beginning to grow in the kitchen, stopping the feet of the black haired one, but not the man with a small smile that denoted conceit and amusement. "I should have stayed with Futaba!"

"Well, you decided to stay and help me, so you asked for it." He commented with his hands surrounding his boyfriend's body, enjoying the hug and the comforting warmth of it.

"Let there be peace guys! Morgana is right, we can save this for later, I don't want the cupcakes my boyfriend has made me to get cold before eating them. ” Skilful and loving fingers circled above his waist, then slipped away and took refuge in the interspaces on the chestnut's left hand.

Carrying him with an intimate smile, they both helped put the dishes on the dining room table, ready to enjoy Akechi's creation more calmly while enjoying a quiet night after a day of hard work. They weren’t in a hurry, whenever they could they simply let themselves to enjoy the tranquillity and comfort of the presence of the other. They had all the time in the world, after all.

When they finally finished, they let Morgana accompany them, serving him a portion of the freshly prepared dessert, and in the comfort of their home they began to taste the delicious invention, accompanied by a few glasses of water, of course.

For a few seconds they didn't say anything, they didn't see the need in it, it had been years since simply being with each other was enough for them, they both hated wasting words when they weren't necessary. Still, it didn't take long for them to start asking each other about how the day went, sitting face to face to better see each other's faces.

...But of course, the dark-haired man had to ruin the moment to satisfy his curiosity.

"…You know? To be honest, I was hoping you would have burned something, it smells charred despite the cupcakes being moderately toasted. ”

And of course, then the damn cat took the opportunity to open its mouth. "Oh, that's because of the microwave-."

"Morgana, don’t you dare-." he said in an attempt to stop the animal from revealing yet another embarrassing fact, but to no avail.

"-Goro stuffed a stick of butter inside with the wrapper on!"

A comical but painful sound exploded in the ex-thief's mouth after processing what his boyfriend had done, spitting a few crumbs out of his mouth as he tried not to regretfully choke on laughter.

“D-Did you stick a whole stick of butter in the microwave? PFFFT HAHAHA! ”

Despite the kick from his angry boyfriend the pain only made him laugh more at the other's mistake. The wide, overflowing laughter spread easily to the animal as well, creating an image filled with happiness and joy.

Goro had always loved Ren's unrestrained and beautiful laughter, someone so used to keeping his feelings behind a calm mask of impassiveness, but here, in the comfort of their home and surrounded by his friend for life and his loved one, the only one who really knows him, left behind any restrain and let out his true self.

Yes, Goro had realized it a long time ago. Everyone was looking for a home where they could be themselves, where they could live happy and free, far from the suffocating norms of society. At first he believed Leblanc to be that place, a secluded corner where he could put aside his mask of the charismatic Detective Prince and the ruthless assassin, but he realized one thing.

Home is not something material, it is a feeling that welcomes and grasps your heart and that does not abandon you, wherever you go. It’s something where memories are created, there to be for all eternity.

For Goro, his home was neither his mother's house, nor his old pristine apartment, or this cozy apartment they had managed to buy.

No, his home was no place, he thought as he let out a sincere, loving smile, it was a person, and it was right in front of him.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was based on real events from my experience in the kitchen with my friends. I was in a hurry that day so my mind wasn't in the right place at that time, and me being me put a whole stick of butter with the wrapper inside the microwave. It goes unsaid that we both left a scream when we saw a literal flame came out of the microwave. Fortunately, nothing happened, but we almost run out of time and I REALLY couldn't afford to be late, so my genius mind thought: "Hey, what about putting 350 grades instead of the normal 200 grades my oven works with." And yeah, we almost burned all the cupcakes, BUT they were edible, just a little dry. Anyways, thank you for reading! Sorry if there are any mistakes, English is not my first language but I wanted to write something for this wonderful ship based on an experience of mine. Positive feedback is appreciated, and thanks again ^^!


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